Canopy, filters and fan: what extraction cleaning covers

The whole system - the canopy, the grease filters, the ductwork, and the extract fan. The canopy (hood over the cooking) is cleaned inside and out, removing the grease that collects on its surfaces. The grease filters (the first defence against grease reaching the ductwork) are cleaned or replaced, as they load up with grease. The ductwork (the enclosed duct runs from the canopy to outside) is cleaned throughout, reached through access panels - this is where the grease build-up is most significant and most hazardous (the main fire risk). And the extract fan (which draws the air through the whole system) is cleaned of the grease it accumulates, which reduces its performance and adds to the fire risk. So a full extraction clean covers all four components - the complete system, each cleaned of its grease - not just the visible canopy. This whole-system scope is what makes it a proper, compliant (TR19 Grease) clean, distinct from a partial clean that does only the visible parts. So a full extraction clean covers the canopy, filters, ductwork and fan. This is general commentary.

Because the ductwork is where the grease build-up is most significant and most hazardous - the main fire risk in the system. The ductwork (the enclosed duct runs carrying the air from the canopy to outside) accumulates grease on its internal surfaces as the grease-laden air passes through - and because it is enclosed, hard to reach, and runs through the building, this build-up is the most significant and dangerous in the system: a grease fire in the ductwork can spread rapidly through the system and the building. So the ductwork is where the fire risk mainly lives, and cleaning it is essential to controlling that risk. A clean that covers the canopy and filters but not the ductwork leaves the main fire risk in place. So a full clean must cover the ductwork (reaching it through access panels and cleaning the grease off the internal surfaces throughout) - it is the harder, costlier part, and the part that distinguishes a real clean from a superficial one, precisely because it is where the fire risk is. So the clean needs to cover the ductwork because that is where the main fire risk builds up. This is general commentary.

Yes - a full extraction clean includes the extract fan, which also accumulates grease. The extract fan draws the air through the entire system, so all the grease-laden air passes through or past it - and it accumulates grease over time (on the impeller/blades, the housing, and around it). This has two consequences: it reduces the fan's performance (a grease-laden fan is unbalanced and less efficient, extracting less well, and can be damaged or even seized by heavy grease build-up), and it adds to the fire risk (grease on the fan, in the airflow). So a full clean cleans the fan - removing the grease to restore its performance and remove its part of the fire risk. The fan is a component often overlooked in a partial clean (like the ductwork, it is not the visible canopy), but it matters both for the extraction working properly and for the fire risk. So yes - a full extraction clean includes the fan, as part of doing the whole system (canopy, filters, ductwork and fan). So the fan is covered by a full clean. This is general commentary.

By knowing the components a full clean covers (canopy, filters, ductwork, fan) and insisting on proof the hidden parts were done. A full clean does all four components; a partial clean does only some (typically just the visible canopy and filters, leaving the ductwork and fan). So to check the scope, ask: was the ductwork cleaned? was the fan? or just the canopy and filters? And insist on verification: a full clean should come with internal inspection, before-and-after photographs (especially of the hidden ductwork and fan), and a report and certificate documenting what was cleaned - so you can see the whole system, including the hidden parts, was genuinely done. If the clean did only the canopy and filters, or cannot show you the ductwork and fan were cleaned, it was not a full clean. So you check you got a full clean by confirming all four components were covered and seeing the proof (photographs, report) that the hidden parts were done. Knowing the components and demanding the proof is how you verify the scope. This is general commentary.

Either - the filters are cleaned or replaced as part of a full clean, depending on their type and condition. The grease filters load up with grease over time, and a full clean addresses them: baffle filters are cleaned (washed in a dishwasher or by soaking, and reused, being durable); mesh filters are cleaned (washed, more often, as they clog faster) or replaced if degraded; cartridge filters are cleaned or replaced per their type (some washable, some replaceable). So whether a filter is cleaned or replaced depends on its type (baffle reusable, some cartridges replaceable) and its condition (a damaged or worn filter is replaced). The aim is that the filters end up clean and effective (catching grease, not clogged) - by cleaning where they can be cleaned, and replacing where they cannot or are worn out. So as part of a full clean, the filters are cleaned or replaced as appropriate - restoring their grease-catching and airflow. This is one of the components a full extraction clean covers (the first defence against grease). So the filters are cleaned or replaced as needed. This is general commentary.

Because it lets you understand what a full clean involves and check you are getting one, rather than just the visible parts. A full extraction clean covers the whole system (canopy, filters, ductwork, fan), but a partial clean does only some components (typically the visible canopy and filters, leaving the ductwork and fan). Since the hidden components (ductwork, fan) are where much of the fire risk is, a partial clean leaves that risk in place - but it can look like a full clean (the visible canopy is clean, there is an invoice). So knowing the components lets you see through this: you can ask whether the ductwork and fan were cleaned (not just the canopy and filters), and insist on the proof (before-and-after photographs of the hidden parts). This is how you check you are getting a complete clean that controls the fire risk, rather than a partial one that leaves it. So knowing the components matters because it lets you check the scope and ensure you get a full clean - not just the visible parts. So knowing the components helps you verify the clean. This is general commentary.